McConnell: ‘We’ll Figure Some Way’ To Raise Debt Ceiling

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Sunday indicated that Republicans would pass legislation to raise the debt ceiling before the U.S. defaults on its national debt on March 15.

“I made it very clear after the November election that we’re certainly not going to shut down the government or default on the national debt,” McConnell said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” when asked if Republicans would lift the debt ceiling.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Friday called on Congress to raise the debt ceiling “without controversy or brinksmanship” before the March 15 deadline.

McConnell did not promise, however, that Republicans would not use the debt limit increase to achieve additional policy goals.

“We’ll figure some way to handle that and hopefully it might carry some other important legislation that we can agree on in connection with it,” McConnell said of the debt limit increase.